It started as a job location in the summer of 2006 and is now a State Of Mind.

July 13, 2015

Have I mentioned I'm a bit obsessed with subscription boxes? I LOVE them! Okay, I don't have a lot of experience. I subscribe to three currently, two of which are new new new:

StichFix - A personal stylist! The box comes when I want one and I've bought three great dresses, two cute blouses and a jacket. While the styles don't always mesh (though they fall within the parameters I laid out) 98% of it has fit great. Always a great thing!

Try The World - a food box delivery with each box coming from a different country. We get one every other month and so far we received on from Argentina. We scarfed down all but one item so far. YUM! Can't wait for this month's box to come, apparently it will be from Japan.

PopSugar - a new one I saw and ordered because I'm a mom with a 3 1/2 year old and I want to feel young and cute and hip again, so I have to have "young" and "cute" and "hip" delivered. Also, I want something that is just mine. Mine alone! Which is why I'm not opening the FIRST box of my subscription today until after the said child is asleep tonight!

Also today I received my long awaited MemoBottle that I had supported on Kickstarter. I thought it was a genius idea all around - a book size water bottle that slips easily in your bag or briefcase.

June 26, 2015

Harper's hair has been growing since before she was born without a cut (we could see her curly hair in sonograms!), but finally it was getting a little out of hand. Curl maintenance is challenging enough on grown up hair, but a three year old? Nutty. So we booked an appointment with Trish, our family stylist, and Harper sat in the big chair. She was NOT interested in having her hair shampooed in the sink in back, so Trish prepped it with spray and a wet brush.

Harper was okay at first, but then got a bit freaked out and started crying.

Not a happy girl. But nothing a little candy and a funny phone app can't cure...

We didn't make it too short, just a couple inches. But that has made a big difference in the post-bath-detangle extravaganza that goes on about once a week at home.

Harper turned 3.5 in early June. I felt it called for a half-birthday gift and it seems like she's ready for some pushbike action. So we popped down to the bike store and she picked out this lovely bike (sans pedals).

She loves it so much she needed to have it near her in the house after she was done riding it outside.

I've been told it's a great way to learn how to ride a bike because you learn balance better than you would with training wheels. Seems logical to me. Now to get her on it more and more often!

June 25, 2015

Eddie Izzard was in town a few weeks ago and I went with Jacquie. We had nosebleed seats at the Hollywood Bowl. But Eddie is AMAZEBALLS and did a Q&A for the cheap seats about an hour before the show started. Wonderful guy.

Then Kurt and I got tickets to see a Texas Rangers game at Dodger Stadium. They were playing the Dodgers, FYI. We haven't been to a baseball game in about 10 years. It was fun for a while then the game turned out to be a pitchers duel (but not even a very good one) and at the bottom of the ninth, the score was 0-0. UGH. (I know, I know, fair weather fan.)

We left to avoid the crowd and listened as the Dodgers won with a walk-off balk! What is that, you say? (Because I had to be educated...) Click Here.

But we got to eat Dodger Dogs and eat peanuts and I had beer. I rarely have beer but I felt beer was necessary. Okay not necessary but traditional. I was also pleased/surprised to find we got to sing Take Me Out To The Ballpark at the 7th inning stretch, not America The Beautiful (or whatever 'Murican song that has to be sung to say F You to terrorists). Happy to hear that tradition has returned. Oh and we got to do the wave. Silly good times. I'd like to go back for another game.

Before it turned into a snooze-fest - HERE WE RANGERS, HERE WE GO!

I've always been bummed that I didn't grow up with a home team of any kind. I love that Kurt has his love/hate relationship with the Rangers. I would love to have Harper have a team, so maybe in a few years we can start educating her and going to more Dodger games..?? We'll see if she's into it. Kurt can be play-by-play and I can do color commentary: "Now he has two balls."

PS Waaaaaay before I was born, my dad used to recreate baseball games for the radio in Hawaii. That would have been really cool to hear him do.

We had a lovely chilled out Papa's Day on Sunday. Kurt had to work on Saturday so Harper and I spent Saturday morning at Ikea buying critical things for the home - candles, small wine glasses, a stuffed pig, etc. Plus we then had to have meatballs. And ice cream.

(My new genius mom thing to do is to always order kids sized things - FOR ME! Never occurred to me before, but at places like Ikea or Disneyland, it's so nice to have much smaller food. But I digress.)

We got home from Big Blue Meatball Land and I said it was time to wrap Papa's present. Harper had picked out wacky emoji wrapping paper from Ikea and determined we needed pink ribbon. Done. Then she made a card and I asked her to write H for Harper (which she loves to do) and then she realized she could make a tic-tac-toe game as well, so we stopped in the middle of making Kurt's card to play a quick game.

Me: Harper, who taught you how to play tic-tac-toe?

Harper: Grace.

That's right! Thanks Grace!

So we had the gift all wrapped and ready and I said we should hide it until tomorrow. Harper decided her blanket drawer would be the best place. Done.

Kurt comes home hours later and as I'm on the phone with my mom I turn around and see that Harper has brought out the gift and is about to start "helping" Kurt to unwrap it. Gah! So I gently say "Harper!!! We don't give that to Papa until tomorrow!" She looks bummed, but then I say, "We have to hide it!" and she's off to hide it in the blanket drawer.

Next morning I remind her about the gift and she RUNS to get it and take it to Kurt who is lounging in bed. She helps him open it. Success!

Then we all get dressed and mosey down to our favorite bagel place for Dad Day bagels and juice. (Kurt is wearing the gift in question.)

We had friends from Macedonia over for a nice dinner outdoors and that was all there was to it. A fun relaxing Dad's Day weekend!

June 02, 2015

In LA there is a weather pattern called June Gloom for the West LA/Santa Monica side of town. It's cloudy and cool in the mornings then it get sunny toward the afternoon.

But I'm referring to my June gloom. Starting the month with a cold. But not just a cold, a cold with a fever, something that rarely happens. It blows. Harper was sick, is still sick, though better and I know I got it from her. Kurt is coughing a bit too. Frankly, we are all a bit pathetic and gloomy.

Then we heard yesterday that Kurt's stepmother died. I never even met her, but am so sad she is gone. Ever since Kurt and I got married, she never failed to send birthday cards and holiday cards and even anniversary cards. There was always a check in the card and a sweet note about how she was doing. We always wrote back and of course lately sent her many pictures of Harper. I always thought I'd meet her someday and thank her in person, but never got the chance. I don't even know what she looked like, which is kinda nutty after 14 years. Just another reason to remember that life is short and not to put things off any longer. I'm going to miss getting her notes in the mail.

On a happier note, here's Harper driving the toy tractor at our favorite weekend place, the Underwood Family Farm. She had never driven before, but dang, she really was amazing, never bumped into anyone and steered perfectly.

May 05, 2015

Updated to add: Harper and I were playing pretend/superheroes and she suddenly shouted "I'm Dark Gator!"

The other night Harper had a bath. It was Kurt's turn so I was out in the office catching up on emails or work or twitter or something. I come back in and Harper is in her towel, ready for jammies and she says:

Papa was mad in the bath.

Me: Why was Papa mad, Harper?

Because he's mean.

[Stifled laughter.]

Now when we read or it's bedtime and she wants an original story, she uses a certain phrase that just cracks me up:

Mama, tell the story about the Blue Dragon! Talk about it!

Or she'll open a book and I'll be looking at the pictures and she'll say: "Talk!" Or "Talk about it!"

So much pressure to perform. But I can't really complain, it's a challenge every night to come up with a new draft of the "Blue Dragon Story". Tonight's episode: Blue Dragon catches the princess picking apples. The princess then bakes the dragon a pie. The dragon eats the whole thing. The end.

April 30, 2015

Hi friends - a charity that I support and volunteer for is having a fundrasier in honor of Mother's Day. Get your family portrait done and support a great cause at the same time. If you donate and come to the sessions, I'll greet you there and make you smile for the camera!

Los Angeles photographer and owner of Litetrap Studios, Michael Murphree, has offered Mother’s Day-themed mini sessions as a priceless gift for the moms in your life with all proceeds going to support Help a Mother Out’s efforts in Los Angeles. (Incredibly generous!)

Portrait by Michael Murphree

For a donation of $100, up to 20 mothers and their children will receive a 15-minute portrait session on Sunday, May 17, two 5 x 7 prints, and a custom Facebook timeline photo.

Michael Murphree has 20 years of experience as a commercial and celebrity photographer, starting his career as apprentice to world-famous photographer Annie Leibovitz. It was when Michael had his own family that he fell in love with photographing his wife and twin babies. This led to the creation of Litetrap Studios, where Michael takes joy in capturing the special moments in other families’ lives with the goal of creating cherished heirlooms that pass on through generations.

The mini-sessions are available to up to 20 mothers and their children, and children of any age. Want a priceless memory of you with your own mother? This is a wonderful opportunity to have a true artist create a portrait of you, and help another mother out at the same time.

Studio space is generously provided by Books and Cookies, a bookstore and play space in Santa Monica.

To reserve your sitting appointment or to arrange for one as a gift to that special mom in your life for Mother’s Day, make your donation here. (If you are not available to come to a session, you can still make a donation to this great cause.)

Openness. Being able to laugh or cry together (or both at the same time). Being able to say "hey it really bummed me out when you said XYZ" to a friend and not have it be a fight. My closest friends share similar values in self discovery, they are working toward knowing themselves deeply, making positive change in their lives and sharing that journey.

This is tough. I've had a great life so far, so many good memories to treasure! So, you know when you do proofs in geometry you have givens? Well my givens are the obvious things: Harper being born, our wedding party, etc etc.

But the memory that popped into my head when I read the question was from 1985. It was Valentine's Day and in chapel (Seabury Hall is an Episcopalian school.) my favorite teacher/woman/person was speaking about love, giving, selflessness, aloha spirit. And as she did, she was stringing a lei to symbolize that. Then she said that she wanted to give that lei to a person who embodied all those traits - Julia? Could you come up here?

I cried.

That was powerful, wonderful, amazing. Not only did I get recognized for something I didn't even realize I was, but recognized by someone as inspiring to me as this woman. Wow. That is a treasure that lives forever in my heart and I work to pay that forward as often as I can.

18. What is your most terrible memory?

Sadly, that's an easy one. The morning my sister died. (Seven years ago this month.) I can still hear my niece's hysterical voice on the phone telling me the news, her dad in the background weeping. Then I had to call my mother and tell her. Then I had to call my sister's father and tell him. Horrible, brutal, awful.

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

I would book tickets to many places in the world and travel travel travel. I would visit friends and family and squeeze all that I could from that year.

This is something I am actually going to start doing very soon. Harper is getting old enough to do some traveling and it's been over five years since I used my passport and that is just not right! I've made new friends that I have not yet met in real life, babies have been born and are half grown who I've never seen. Travel has always been a priority in my life and I've not been focused on it for a while. That changes now.

20. What does friendship mean to you?

A friendship is another kind of marriage. It means commitment and support, in good times and back, for richer for poorer, sickness and health. It means honesty and letting go of fear, not worrying what the other person thinks of you when you are at your worst, knowing they will be there for you when you come out the other side.

Where I'm At

I live in Los Angeles. In the summer of 2006 I worked in Mexico City. Instead of sending out giant emails full of photos to friends and families, I started this blog. The summer turned out to be a crazy one and this blog and my camera kept me sane. I didn't want to stop observing and writing when I got home to LA, so I kept the blog going.